There are many prior articles designed to cover portions of an individual's head for warmth and/or protection from the elements, such as hats, headbands, and articles that cover primarily the ears alone. A most common variety of this last type of ear warming, frequently referred to as an “earmuff,” is comprised of a resilient, C-shaped band that is worn around the top of an individual's head and ear-receiving portions or pockets located at the ends of the C-shaped band. This arrangement is particularly useful in situations where an individual does not wish to constrain their hair as well as in other situations where additional material might be too bulky or interfere with the user. Furthermore, in many situations where an individual would desire to wear such ear protection and display additional insignia/advertising, a variety of additional functionality can be particularly advantageous.
First, it may be desired to design the earmuff so that it may be positioned or worn around the back of an individual's head. A neck-engaging variety of this design can possess the additional advantage of providing protection and added warmth to a wearer's neck as well. In any arrangement where the C-shaped band traverses the backside of the wearer's head, however, the features and functionality of the remainder of the ear warming article need to accommodate this unconventional positioning. For example, the shape of the ear-engaging portions need to take into account the way the ear warming article is worn.
Second, present ear warming articles do not allow the wearer to listen to music or other audio input by means of an integrated electronic device. At football games and other outdoor events, it is often desirable to have warm ears and listen to the radio or music at the same time. It is a significant drawback of current ear warming articles that they posses little or no ability to work with audio-related devices such as earphones, stereo/radio headphones, receivers (radio, XFM, etc.), audio output devices (CD players, MP3 players, etc.), and other audio or audiovisual electronic devices. Consumers are generally forced to pick between wearing either an ear warming article or radio headphones, or to switch between the two as needed, which is particularly undesirable in poor weather. At best, some products offer earphones as an add-on or accessory to a conventional ear-muff. For individuals who desire to receive the benefit of both ear warming articles and audio-related devices in an integrated device, there is a lack of acceptable articles that satisfy both functions at the same time.
Further, many current ear warming articles are unsatisfactory due to a number of shortcomings related to either their appearance or their capabilities. For example, it is often desirable for such headgear to provide advertising or branding opportunities that are attractive to the wearer and are also economical to produce. Articles of this type are frequently purchased based upon the article's possession of a logo or other insignia that indicates association with an interest (favorite sporting team, company, etc.) of the wearer. The specific detail (size, shape, functionality, attractiveness, etc.) of this insignia can be of utmost importance and can easily form the basis for purchase of the article, particularly when a premium article is desired. Current articles sometimes attempt to provide insignia, however such insignia is frequently unacceptable to the wearer because of the logo's size or location, or even because the logo itself cannot be removed, changed or washed.
Another drawback is that current ear warming articles are typically have a complicated, many-piece construction, frequently making the article difficult to manufacture. Such an approach also often leads to an unwanted appearance and can miss a main objective, such as making a reasonably-priced article that is both comfortable and good-looking while providing protection from inclement weather conditions.
Therefore, current ear-warming articles are generally unable to offer the construction, usefulness, appearance and flexibility required to adequately and cost-effectively provide the functionality desired by today's sophisticated, demanding customers.